Comcast to roll out a TV streaming service later this year

Over the past few years, the number of consumers opting to cut the cord in favor of more affordable streaming services from the likes of Netflix and Hulu has increased dramatically. Consequently, traditional cable providers are finally starting to embrace more economical streaming alternatives to what can often be exorbitant monthly cable bills.

Following in the footsteps of DirecTV, Comcast is planning to introduce a skinny bundle of its own, according to a report from Reuters. The service will reportedly be called Xfinity Instant TV and will begin rolling out across the country sometime this summer.

Predictably, Comcast’s streaming service will be available in a number of tiers, with the more economical subscription plan only costing users about $15 a month. On the higher end, a plan with a more robust selection of channels will set consumers back about $40 a month.

While it remains to be seen which specific channels will be available in each particular tier, Reuters adds that the packages will include the major broadcast networks, along with “sports channels like ESPN and Spanish language channels such as Telemundo and Univision.”

That said, there are a few caveats to the Xfinity Instant TV service spotted by our sister-site Variety that are worth highlighting.

Xfinity Instant TV will be available only to Comcast’s broadband subscribers in metro areas including Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. The difference is that with Xfinity Instant TV customers won’t need to use a Comcast-supplied set-top…

The report relays that the service is being rolled out in the hopes that Comcast can convince its high-speed Internet users to try out the service in the hopes that they might eventually sign up for the company’s more robust cable package. Of course, the very reason why skinny bundles are gaining in popularity in the first place is because a Netflix subscription combined with a select collection of cable channels can obviate the need for a pricey monthly cable plan altogether.